Snowflakes and Soup
by Serenity Fey
Summary: When Sakura drags Sasuke to Gaara's new soup kitchen, Umarekawari, he expects the usual: homeless people asking for food. But when he meets Naruto Uzumaki, an old friend of Gaara's, he gets more than he's bargained for. For Squishy Penguin. AU


**Snowflakes and Soup - Part I**

**Rating:** T, for mild language and adult situations

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or any of the cars mentioned.

**Author's Note: **Hiya, all. This is a special 'prize' oneshot that I ended up writing for my 35th reviewer on **Life Changes**. Unfortunately, I have failed **Squishy Penguin** miserably, because it is past Christmas, it isn't a oneshot anymore, and it isn't finished. -guiltguiltguilt- So here's Part I. Some notes about reading it: It's an alternate universe, but I still have Kyuubi and Inner Sakura going on... I'm not gonna try to explain that. I'm just not. Also, every time you see a **000** it means character POV change. First is Sasuke, then Sakura, then Naruto. For some reason, Sasuke's got uberly long. Oh, well. So... That's it. Expect an update next week, hopefully. Read on!

**000**

"Come _on_, Sasuke!" Sakura Haruno pleaded insistently, as she tugged on her friend's brown leather, lambskin coat sleeve. She widened her shiny, green eyes and stuck out her bottom lip that was adorned with pink, sparkly lip gloss, trying to pull off the 'Puppy-dog' look. "_Please_?" She stretched out the word, her voice raising an octave. "Where's your Christmas Spirit? Besides, it'll mean the _world_ to Gaara!"

Sasuke Uchiha grunted unintelligently, but climbed out of his dark blue Volvo, nevertheless. His pale, darkly handsome face gazed at her with a slight flicker of exasperated annoyance, and then he shrugged. A flip of his head shook a few ebony lock out of his obsidian eyes. "I don't _do_ Christmas Spirit. And I'm _not_ doing this for Gaara. Or you," he added, ignoring the surly look that had slid onto Sakura's delicate features. He shut the door of his car with a dull slamming noise and began pulling on powder-blue gloves: a Christmas gift from Sakura that he'd received last year. "Let's get this over with, then," he said, in his smooth, deep, monotonous voice.

As Sasuke started toward the curb, Sakura skipped after him, a bright smile returning to warm her spring-green eyes. Sasuke may pretend not to care, but she knew that deep-down, he did; he wore the proof on his hands. He donned the gloves she'd give him for the same reason he was coming along today. They were best friends, and though most people didn't see it, they'd do anything for each other. When Sasuke made little gestures like those, it made her happy, and he knew it.

"Are you coming or not?" Sasuke's impatient drawl broke through her thoughts. Sakura nodded slightly and pulled her black, double-breasted pea coat closer around her body and hopped onto the sidewalk with her black, lace-up, faux fur boots. The cold wind bit at her exposed face, the only thing showing through her matching hat-mittens-scarf set. She pulled the shimmery pink hat farther over her ears and walked a little faster to catch up with Sasuke.

"Man," she muttered, as they walked down the block, the chunky heel of her boots making a clicking noise on the pavement. "It's freezing. And yet, we haven't gotten a single snowflake! Where's Mother Nature's sense of Holiday cheer? What's the Christmas season without snow?" She scowled at the dead trees planted evenly down the sidewalk, as if it was _their_ fault they were not covered in fluffy, white snow.

Sasuke rolled his dark eyes sarcastically. "There's no such thing as 'Mother Nature'. Even if there was, she's wouldn't have 'Holiday Cheer'. Neither do most _real_ people, for that matter. You're just obsessed with Christmas. Besides, it's not even that cold." He raised a thin, artfully sculpted eyebrow at her. Sakura glared at his beauty and stuck up her nose, offended.

"Well, sor_ry_ I'm not a human ice block that actually _prefers_ living in a freezer!" she bit back angrily, walking swiftly ahead of him. He grunted coldly, but picked up his pace as well. She avoided his gaze stubbornly, crossing her arms over her painfully flat chest, partly for warmth, and partly to block him out. What was wrong with a little Christmas spirit? Why did Sasuke constantly resent anything merry or jolly? "You always get like this around December," Sakura said, a little sadly. "Why don't you like Christmas, Sasuke?"

In reply, Sasuke buried his chin in his coat collar. "Christmas is stupid, that, why. It's pointless. People get all festive and… _cheery_. It's a waste of time," he said flatly. "I don't want to talk about it, okay? Let's just… get to this Umarekawari place. You're the one that made me drive all the way down here." And with that, the subject was closed abruptly. They walked in tense silence, only the sound of the wind whistling in their ears and the honking and blaring of the traffic on the street to keep them company. Sasuke guiltily glanced over at Sakura, to see that she was staring at her feet with a disconsolate expression. He immediately felt bad for his harsh words, but Sasuke wasn't one to apologize. Instead he just sighed quietly and trudged on.

After a few more minutes of walking, Sakura jerked to a stop suddenly. "Oh! Here it is!" A joyful smile breaking through her rosy, wind chapped face. She'd stopped on the corner of the busy street at what looked like a large department-store front. It had a brightly-colored sign above it that read 'Umarekawari Soup Kitchen' in huge, red lettering and 'If you're in need, we're here for you' written slightly smaller underneath it. "Don't you just love the sign?" Sakura asked, admiring it. "I helped Gaara paint it!" she added proudly.

"Impressive," Sasuke muttered dryly, and followed her in the door, which tinkled brightly as the bell above was stricken. Inside the building, the air was comfortably warm, a welcome change after the bitter cold _out_side. A delicious fragrance wafted through the room, and Sasuke breathed deep, half-closing his eyes. "Mmm," he sighed. "Tomato soup."

Sasuke opened his eyes again, taking in the surroundings. It was a rather large room, the size of a small gymnasium, and what had most definitely been the first floor of a department store. There were mixed and matched chairs set along the various booths, tables, and bars, all providing as much space as possible for the kitchen's many visitors. Most of the people there were dressed in many, clashing layers, and were slightly dirty, but they all looked grateful for the warm meal. Along the far wall was an extended counter, with more people lined up, waiting for their food. Behind that was a pair of double doors that kept swishing open as workers came through with more food, obviously coming from the actual kitchen.

"Sasuke!" Sakura called from the other side of the room. "What are you doing? Let's go!" She waved to him with a quickly ungloved hand and disappeared into the kitchen, already discarding her coat as she walked, revealing a stylish pink polo and neat boot-cut jeans. Sasuke sighed and followed her, bracing himself for her cheery enthusiasm, his stomach growling loudly as he inhaled another whiff of the delicious soup smell.

"Sakura," Gaara Sabaku intoned, coming over from his oven with a smile so tiny it was hard to tell if it even was one, or if it was just a twitch around his mouth. Sakura, however, was accustomed to such almost-smiles and knew that it was a sign that Gaara was very happy to see her. She grinned widely and threw herself on him, hugging him tightly. Gaara grunted uncomfortably, and tensed slightly, but did not resist. Sakura drew away from him after a moment, still holding his shoulders.

"Holy cow, Gaara! What are you putting in that soup? You've grown at least four inches since the last time I saw you!" She giggled, looking up at the boy's slightly blushing face. Gaara shrugged her hands off of his shoulders, and turned back to his oven, taking out a pan with mitten-clad hands. "Oh, that smells heavenly, Gaara! What is it?" Sakura asked, with wide eyes. Gaara smirked minutely, and closed the oven door with his backside. He laid it down next to the oven and took off his oven-mitts primly.

"Christmas special. Cherry-filling sprinkled with crumbs baked onto bread." Gaara rarely spoke a lot, and hardly ever in complete sentences, so this guttural response was expected. Sakura took another deep breath, inhaling the smell, and nodded appreciatively, licking her lips. The smell of the bread had her mouth watering. Gaara sure could make some delicious things. "Well-liked," he shrugged, making light of what was obviously a scrumptious recipe.

At that moment, Sasuke slipped through the kitchen's double-wide doors. His coat was off, folded neatly over his arm. When he saw Gaara, he nodded his head slightly in greeting, which Gaara returned. Sasuke gestured toward his coat, silently asking where to hang it up. Gaara pointed to the coat rack near the back of the kitchen.

Sakura looked at Gaara strangely. "What is it with you guys? Too manly to use words, huh?" She shook her head exasperatedly when Gaara just raised an invisible eyebrow. How did she get such silent friends? "Fine, whatever. If you can get by without talking, go ahead. I, for one, _like_ to talk." Gaara muttered something that sounded suspiciously like, 'Obviously'.

After Sasuke had finished hanging up his coat, he returned to his friends, baring his dark blue, long-sleeve combed thermal over top slim fitted jeans. Glancing at Gaara, he snorted. "Nice apron, Gaara," he commented dryly, coughing slightly. A ghost of a blush appeared on Gaara's pale cheeks and he turned away quickly. His apron, which hung loosely over his warm brown sweater and casually baggy jeans, read 'Kiss the Cook'. It had probably been a gift from Sakura; that seemed like something she'd find amusing. She was always getting him weird gifts that he'd never use ordinarily. Gaara'd probably put it on today just for her benefit. It was a nice gesture, if anything.

"Ok, then!" Sakura chirped. "Let's get started! Sasuke, you could probably start out there… I'll be of more use in the kitchen." Her face heated up slightly after she said this, but Sasuke just nodded. He wasn't any sort of cook except for a bad one, and he'd certainly be more of a hindrance that a help. Following Sakura's instructions, Sasuke put on plastic gloves and headed back through the double-doors, leaving Sakura to talk Gaara's ears off.

Once behind the counter, Sasuke assumed the coffee station, not trusting his stomach to the tomato soup. Person after person received their Styrofoam cup of steaming coffee, and as Sasuke handed them their hot drink, he looked at them, _really_ looked at them. They were all real people, with real lives that had taken a turn for the worse. Sasuke found himself wondering what these people's stories were, and how they had ended up in this soup kitchen, taking food for free and avoiding everyone else's eyes like it was a shameful thing. He felt a slight pain in his heart for these people, and tried to smile at anyone who'd actually meet his eyes. It was an alien situation, but Sasuke felt like it was a good one.

"How're you holding up?" Sakura's voice said as she came out of the kitchen, bearing two platters of hot slices of bread. Sasuke shrugged. The truth was too uncomfortable to tell, and Sasuke wasn't one for sharing his feelings. Sakura looked into his eyes worriedly, but put the platters down and busied herself with arranging them to be passed out, reluctantly busying herself with the food. Sasuke returned to giving out the coffee, avoiding her concerned eyes. Sakura, of course, had seen the pain on his face. These people got to him. Before she went back to the kitchen, Sakura patted his arm affectionately. "Gaara says you can take five if you want. Have a cup of coffee, or a bowl of that tomato soup I see you've been eying." She winked, and Sasuke heard his stomach growl loudly. That was probably a good idea.

Serving himself a bowl of the tomato soup and picking up a slice of Gaara's 'Cheery Cherry Christmas' bread, Sasuke retreated to a small, two-person table with mismatched chairs. One was a vinyl Bistro chair with a burgundy sea t cushion and the other was a wooden ladder-back with gray, fabric upholstery. Sasuke scooted the ladder-backed chair away from the shiny aluminum table and sat down gingerly, placing his food in front of him. The soup smelled heavenly, especially since his last meal had been about four hours prior. Greedily, but still somehow dainty, Sasuke spooned up his soup. It tasted as good as it smelled, he was delighted to find.

"Hey. Enjoying that soup?" An obnoxiously loud voice sounded in Sasuke's ear, startling him so much that he nearly knocked over his bowl. The source was a blonde boy, no older than Sasuke. He was grinning brightly from ear to ear, and he sat down in the Bistro chair across from Sasuke. Sasuke blinked. He hadn't expected someone to sit down with him, especially not some loud kid. Then, as he took in the boy's appearance, his hard obsidian eyes softened a touch.

The boy was rather scruffy, with his messy blonde hair sticking up all over the place. He wore a patched, wool coat that was a very bright shade of orange. Sasuke noticed that all of his buttons were different, in odd shapes and colors. His fingertips stuck out from fingerless, wool gloves. The most striking thing about the boy wasn't his ragged clothes, though. It was his bright, optimistic, azure eyes, that twinkled mischievously and the whisker-like scars that tracked his tanned cheeks. He was really quite beautiful, and Sasuke gaped at him slightly.

The boy raised his eyebrows, amused. "Are you mentally retarded or something? Or just too stuck up to answer my questions?" He shoved a large piece of the Christmas bread in his mouth, chewing it with a satisfied smack of his lips. Sasuke could see the food roll around in his mouth as the boy chewed it messily. "Mmm. This is good bread. Gaara's out-done himself again," he remarked, swallowing the morsels appreciatively.

"I'm not mentally retarded," Sasuke said sullenly, regaining his composure. He crossed his arms in front of his chest hostilely. Who did this kid think he was, just sitting down and insulting him? He could feel his self-importance rearing its ugly head. "I was just surprised. Anyway, how do _you_ know Gaara? You're just –" Sasuke broke off, guilt bubbling up for almost calling a homeless kid a name. Then again, he_ was_ annoying.

The boy glared at him. "A hobo? A bum? A street rat? Go on, say it. Not like I haven't heard it all before. I've met plenty of snobbish rich people like you, who claim they're 'helping the poor' when really they're just in it for publicity or reputation or money… You're all the same," he said bitterly. The boy glared at him intensely, and Sasuke felt his face heating up under the blonde boy's gaze. How had this beautiful boy wound up on the street? He longed to ask him, but of course, the boy now hated him. He was saved from a reply when a solemn voice sounded behind him.

"Naruto," Gaara's voice intoned, with more emotion than Sasuke had ever heard him use. Sasuke half-turned, to see the red head walk up to the blonde boy, who'd already stood up quickly. They embraced tightly as Sasuke looked on in bewilderment. How _did_ this homeless kid know Gaara, the son of a rich politician? Of course, it was possible the boy was a regular visitor, but that they would hug, like old friends? It seemed a bit odd, and Sasuke was thoroughly confused.

Straightening, Gaara turned to Sasuke. "You know Naruto?" he asked, an almost-tone of surprise lacing his deep, gravelly voice. Sasuke shook his head slightly. _Naruto_. Gaara had said it twice now. That was the blonde boy's name. He longed to say it aloud, and feel the contours of the name on his tongue. "Well… Naruto Uzumaki. Sasuke Uchiha." Gaara gestured toward Naruto first, and then Sasuke, who stood up politely.

"Hn… Sorry about the rough start. It's nice to meet you, Naruto Uzumaki," Sasuke said, drawing out the 'rrr' sound in the other boy's name. It was a delicious name, and it certainly fit the blonde boy. Naruto scowled at him, but reluctantly held out his hand. Sasuke grasped his gloved hand firmly, feeling the warm pricks of Naruto's fingertips on his cold, bony hand. Looking him in the eye, Sasuke saw a glint of cool intelligence, which was quickly erased by the grin that spread across his face.

"Nice to meet you, too, Sasuke Uchiha," Naruto said loudly, releasing Sasuke's hand quickly. "Wow, cold hands," he muttered, rubbing his fingers briskly. Sasuke shrugged, half annoyed. It wasn't his fault he was cold. He had bad circulation, was all. Sasuke pocketed his hands uncomfortably, and turned to Gaara, who had an unreadable expression on his sharp, stiff features.

"How do you two know each other?" Sasuke asked curiously. Though Gaara worked this soup kitchen, Sasuke couldn't picture him actually hanging out with the unfortunate people who visited Umarekawari. "No offense meant, but you guys look pretty chummy. And for Gaara, that's like… smiling. Blasphemy." He grinned snarkily as Gaara twisted a wry look at him.

Naruto obnoxiously and Sasuke cocked an eyebrow. This kid certainly was loud. How did such a cheery, happy kid end up on the streets? He definitely didn't belong in this place of sad people. "I knew Gaara from his street days," Naruto said casually, after he'd stopped clutching his side in laughter. Gaara didn't seem to appreciate this, but didn't threaten him, as Sasuke had seen him do to many a punk who'd bothered him.

"Shut up, Naruto. No one needs to hear about that," Gaara said in a low voice. Naruto shrugged dismissively, but dropped the subject nevertheless. Sasuke narrowed his calculating eyes. Gaara's 'street days'? That was certainly an interesting subject to pursue. Perhaps Sakura would know more about it. "Naruto… A word?" Gaara asked quietly. Sasuke nodded quickly and sat back down to his soup and bread, at the same time, perking up his ears.

"Are you here for him?" he heard Gaara ask in a low voice, ever so slightly colored with disdain. Sasuke's brow furrowed. Him? Were they talking about Sasuke? He didn't hear Naruto's reply; it was too quiet, a strange change from the blonde boy's loud attitude and voice. "Yes… You can see it in his eyes. But he's stubborn and proud, Naruto," Gaara continued. Sasuke paused, his spoon halfway to his mouth. See _what_ in his eyes? Stubborn and proud? He supposed he could be classified as the latter, but what did that have to do with anything in particular?

Naruto's response was, again, too faint. Sasuke ground his teeth in frustration. He wished he could hear the blonde boy's comments; they were obviously about him. Finishing his light snack of soup and bread, Sasuke stood abruptly, his leather shoes squeaking slightly on the tile floor. Gaara and Naruto stopped talking immediately as they heard the scrape of his chair being pushed back. Sasuke walked briskly back to the kitchen, clipping Naruto's shoulder against his own accidently. His shoulder tingled and burned with a kind of electricity, but he resisted the urge to rub it.

Sasuke wound his way back past the counter and line of people, his mind working furiously. What had those two been talking about? It frustrated Sasuke, not knowing something. And that Naruto kid. It irked him that someone would make him feel such a whirl of emotions in such a small period of time: amazement, irritation, and something else: a strange mix of emotion that he could not decipher, because he had never encountered it. Sasuke sighed tiredly. How had Sakura talked him into going here? It had been a bad idea from the beginning, and now, he just wanted to leave. Sasuke's leather shoes clicked on the tile as he walked in fury. He whipped his coat on angrily, and saw Sakura, coming from the back with a cheery smile on her rosy face.

The smile slipped off instantly. "What's wrong, Sauske?" she asked worriedly. Sasuke just glared coldly at her and jerked his head in the direction of the door, indicating he was leaving. He didn't trust himself to speak, afraid of betraying his emotional instability through his voice. Sakura was obviously confused, and wiped her hands on her cute pink apron worriedly. "Did something happen? We just got here."

Appearing out of nowhere, Gaara spoke up, in a coarse voice. "I'll take her home, Sasuke. If you wish to leave now." He gave Sasuke a knowing look and muttered, "Too damn good ears". Sasuke smirked slightly at Gaara's dry humor, and then looked over at Sakura. Would she be alright with Gaara? She clearly wanted to stay, and that was fine with him if Gaara was going to behave. Sakura looked hopefully up at Sasuke's inquiring face, biting her bottom lip.

Sasuke sighed, and nodded tersely. "That's fine," he said steadily, thanking his voice for not cracking. "I'll see you later, Sakura," he mumbled, turning out of the kitchen to Sakura's bewildered gaze and Gaara's wise, shrewd one. Coming out the way he'd come, Sasuke glimpsed Naruto's azure eyes looking at him with a kind of thoughtful defiance. He wondered if that was a bad omen. He felt like a specimen, and Naruto the scientist was planning all of these things to do to him. It was an odd feeling, one that he shook off quickly. One thing was for sure, however. Sasuke didn't ever want to see that blonde head again, but this would irrefutably not be the last he heard from Naruto Uzumaki.

**000 **

After Sasuke stormed out of Gaara's kitchen, Sakura and the latter stared at the doors a moment longer. Sakura was so confused. What had gotten into Sasuke? Normally, he was not so edgy. And Gaara, with that perceptive expression, evidently knew what was going on and was either deliberately keeping her in the dark just for kicks or respected Sasuke's privacy too much tell her the details. Either way, she wished he'd just spill the beans. On the other hand, if it was so bad that he had to go storming out of Umarekawari such as he did, then maybe she didn't want to know. **Sasuke's just too much of a bastard to deal with emotional situations. He'll come round**, the obnoxious voice in her head commented. She swatted it back and directed a questioning look at Gaara. "What was that all about? Did you see what happened?"

Gaara regarded her coolly, but did not answer right away. He busied himself with cleaning dishes, scrubbing them viciously with soap in the sink. Sakura, shrugging inwardly, assumed he wasn't going to answer and joined him at the sink, taking up her own bowls and pots to wash. After a few minutes, however, Gaara said, in his deep voice, "A friend of mine showed up. Naruto Uzumaki." His halting fragments of speech were not the reason Sakura raised a slim, pink eyebrow. Naruto Uzumaki… The name rang a bell, but she couldn't quite place it. Then, it hit her all at once.

"Oh! That boy you –" she started, loud because of her discovery. Gaara shot her a slightly dangerous look and Sakura's bright green eyes widened. "– met on the streets?" she amended. She felt like smacking herself. **God, I'm sure Gaara wants the whole joint knowing about being in a gang!** she thought sarcastically to herself. Absently, she pushed back the voice. Gaara hadn't always been so controlled. He used to be in a street gang. Ironically enough, the very person who had finally reformed him (Basically by beating the shit out of him) had been Naruto Uzumaki. The two were tight friends, but Sakura hadn't known that Gaara's best friend visited him at Umarekawari. "Why was he here, Gaara? And what does that have to do with Sasuke?" she asked, even more confused.

Gaara grunted slightly, and stared stubbornly at the big aluminum pot in his hands, where his distorted, fish eyed reflection stared back up at him. "Naruto… changes people," he started quietly. "He only comes around once in a while… But he always leaves an impression." He moved on to another bowl, still avoiding Sakura's gaze. 'Leaves an impression'? Sakura's rather large forehead furrowed in thought. What did that mean? He 'changes people'? Was he trying to change Sasuke? Sakura's face must have betrayed her thoughts, because Gaara looked at her, an amused glint in his eyes. Sakura wanted to ask him more, but Gaara abruptly left the kitchen, wiping his hands on the front of his apron.

Sakura made a face in the direction Gaara had zipped off to, but then shrugged. If he wanted to be cryptic, then she just wouldn't play the game. Of course, the snarky voice in her head was not fine with that plan. **Gaara's got something up his sleeve that he's not telling us… Bastard.** Rolling her eyes slightly at her inner self, Sakura continued scrubbing until Gaara came back, his bright blonde hobo trailing behind. "Sakura!" he cried, hugging her tightly. When he let go, Sakura could tell that he was smiling widely. "How are you?" he asked.

Sakura smiled at him, taking in his ragged appearance. "Pretty good, I'd say. The icy bastard you just met – Sasuke – has been taking good enough care of me. The conversations are a bit dry, though." Naruto laughed loudly, and grinned at her. Sakura thought about how she'd met Naruto – when he'd asked Shikamaru Nara, a friend of hers, for help 'rescuing' Gaara from his gang. It was all very complicated, but she'd immediately liked Naruto. He could be obnoxious and a little dense, but he really was a good kid.

Gaara was staring at them with an odd expression. "Naruto says he's come to help someone. Sasuke, apparently." He looked almost… jealous. But that couldn't be right. **Gaara doesn't even do normal emotions**, she thought bitterly. Sakura shushed her inner voice for the fourth time and focused on what Gaara was saying. "Naruto would like to visit Sasuke's house. He volunteered to drive you if you'd give directions." Sakura looked at Naruto curiously. Visit Sasuke? They lived in the same apartment, so of course she knew, but why would he want to do something so… suicidal?

"Sure," Sakura shrugged. "But… why? Sasuke won't take kindly to it, that's for sure," she tried to warn him. But of course, Naruto was not the kind to be swayed away from something that he wanted to do. He'd stick with his promises and plans until he saw them carried out. It was just the way he was. Sasuke was the exact same. She could definitely see how great their personalities would clash.

"Sasuke needs a little Christmas cheer, is all," Naruto said brightly, grinning and stretching his arms out behind his head. "You just leave his attitude problem to me." Gaara raised an eyebrow at Sakura, as if to say 'I told you so'. She lifted her own back at him, and for a split second, Sakura swore she could see the ghost of a smile on his pale features. "Let's go, then!" Naruto cried, breaking the two out of their silent exchange.

"Alright, Naruto. Calm down. Let me get my coat," Sakura said, sighing. As she put her arms in her black pea coat's sleeves, she smiled at Gaara. "We'll be back. You can count on it. Thanks for putting up with the madness." Gaara shrugged nonchalantly and stuck out his hand formally, as he always did when they left. And as Sakura always did, she ignored the slender hand and hugged him closely. "Take care," Sakura said, as she pulled away.

"Goodbye. Be careful, Naruto," Gaara's low voice intoned as they trotted out the way they'd come. Sakura glanced back one last time as they pushed open the door and saw Gaara smiling ever so slightly back at her, his face tipped up, put into harsh relief by the florescent lights on the ceiling. She waved back and followed Naruto into the chilly New York air, pulling on her hat, mittens, and scarf combination.

"Right here! Left! See? There's the apartment!" Sakura pointed a gloved hand at something beyond the windshield; a block down stood a large apartment, towering several stories over the street. Her breath puffed a little in the cold air of Naruto's ancient Chrysler New Yorker, as the heat didn't work anymore. For some reason, Naruto was thoroughly obsessed with the car, and had affectionately named it 'The Frog'. Why, she had no idea.

"'The Icon'? Pretty fancy, eh?" Naruto whistled admiringly as they drove up to the apartments that Sasuke owned. He'd bought it about a year previous and hadn't bothered to change the name, despite Sakura's suggestions. Sakura got a discounted price for living there, as she'd refused to just let her live there. She wanted to show that she could make it on her own; though, truth be told, she appreciated the discount.

Naruto turned into the small parking lot, the Frog taking up two full places with Naruto's shoddy parking job. Once the Frog was off, Naruto leapt out and opened her door, ever the gentleman. Sakura smiled to herself as they walked into the pleasantly warm lobby of the apartment. Sakura took out a copy of Sasuke's keys out of her pink Hobo bag purse. **Cha! Good thing we had talked Sasuke into giving us a copy of his keys! **her inner voice shouted triumphantly. "Here we go, Naruto. Room 23 on the third floor," she chirped, pressing the up button to call the elevator down. "Here are his keys! I didn't give them to you," she warned menacingly and he laughed.

Inside the elevator, Sakura studied Naruto's slightly tanned face. He was pretty handsome, in a rugged way. He had money, she knew, and he had a job, but he ended up spending so much on helping people that he didn't really care about his appearance. "Sakura?" Naruto asked curiously, startling her from her thoughts. "What're you staring at?" Sakura blushed slightly and ducked out of the elevator as it opened, embarrassed. Naruto followed her, a quizzical expression on his sunny features.

When they got to room 23, Sakura shrugged at him and tried to bustle off to her own room. "Well, I should go now. Good luck with trying to reform Sasuke!" she called, but Naruto caught her wrist. She laughed nervously. Sakura did not want Sasuke to know she'd brought the very reason for his leaving Umarekawari back to their apartment. Naruto sighed and gave her a shrug, and then waved slightly to her.

"Thanks, Sakura. See you later, then? It'll be great," he said brightly. Sakura smiled at him, her heart softening. She nodded, and waved and smiled, unlocking her own door and opening it. As she closed her door and locked it behind her, Sakura heard Sasuke's lock clicking. **Oh, boy. This might be messy.**

**000 **

Naruto unlocked Sasuke's door with the keys Sakura had given him, a strange feeling twisting at his gut. That morning, when he'd woken up and immediately thought about Umarekawari, he'd gone with his impulse. Now, about to go into a the house of a man he'd only just met, Naruto was still following his impulse, but he wasn't quite so sure about it. Sasuke had this cool, perfect exterior, but Naruto knew he could find a real person beneath the ice. Or at least, he hoped so. **You want my opinion, kit? I think you just _like_ this little vixen.** Naruto growled ever so slightly. No, actually. He _hadn't_ wanted the fox's opinion. The fox could shut up and never talk again for all Naruto cared.

Finally, the locked clicked and Sasuke's door swung open. The first thing Naruto noticed was that the apartment was chillingly silent, except for the white noise sound of a shower head blasting. Naruto squeaked girlishly and his face turned red when he realized that Sasuke was in the shower. The fox sent him a steamy image of Sasuke wrapped in a towel and he coughed compulsively as his pants tightened. He clamped down on the fox angrily and tried to ignore the mental image burned into his eyelids. Should he leave? He certainly didn't want to encounter a half-naked Sasuke, or at least he didn't think he did. Anyway, Sasuke would be even angrier.

While he was still debating with himself, the pipes stopped and the white noise of the shower head shut off. Naruto's eyes got a big as saucers and he looked around franticly. The bathroom door, judging from the noise, was right next to another door, presumably the bedroom. He'd walked through a large hallway and into a modest, shiny kitchen, which lead into what looked like a living room. There were three doors; the two doors on his right were presumably the bed and bath rooms. Naruto was unsure what the last one lead to, but he decided to chance it.

Naruto darted into the third door just as the bathroom opened and a muttering Sasuke walked out, though how naked Naruto didn't get a chance to see, as he'd already shut the door. Looking around, he saw that he was in a small study, with book shelves along two walls and a desk along the third. There was a nice computer and printer on the desk. What struck Naruto about Sasuke's whole house was that it was very cold and very impersonal. On the computer desk, there was a picture of what looked like Sasuke's parents, and another picture of Sakura… But that was it. No personal touch, except the coldness, which obviously was directly from Sasuke. There weren't even any Christmas decorations, and it was less than a month away!

**This is what you're here for, Kit. To thaw out this human ice block.** Naruto, for once, agreed with his personal demon. He ran his fingers over the volumes and volumes of books on Sasuke's shelves. No dust. These, at least, were loved. Naruto snorted as he read the titles. They were mostly fiction, with a few historical biographies, some science fiction, and one book called _Pathological Fire Setting_.

"Did Sakura let you in here? Because I will wring her neck. Give me my key and get the hell out of here," a steely voice said from the door way. Naruto whipped around, knocking several volumes off of the book shelf. Sasuke stood in the door way, a pair of blue plaid boxers poking out of the top of his khaki pants, lean chest bare and his floppy dark hair dripping slightly. Naruto hadn't heard the man come in, and his heart had jump-started. Now, seeing the pale Adonis in front of him, his heart wouldn't go back to normal, favoring instead to thump along so loud he was sure Sasuke could hear it. "Hello? I'm talking to you! Get the fuck out of my apartment!"

Naruto scowled, narrowing his eyes so that Sasuke's shirtless form blurred. "So what if Sakura let me in? You don't have to be such a bastard about it! I just wanted to talk to you!" he protested loudly, picking up the books he'd knocked over and carefully putting them back in their rightful places.

"Huh. Because it _looks_ like you are snooping around my apartment, completely uninvited. Haven't you ever heard of knocking, dumbass?" Sasuke yelled, ripping the keys that Naruto had thrown at him in resentment right out of the air. His reflexes were fast, and Naruto'd be impressed if he hadn't been so angry.

"What did you call me? Fine, then! I will leave, you emotionless bastard! God… I was going to help you…" Naruto mumbled the last part furiously as he pushed past Sasuke. But, as he neared Sasuke, he remembered that the latter was shirtless and Naruto blushed violently as he brushed against the man's chest. A strong hand on his face caught Naruto and he stared into Sasuke's smoldering black eyes. "Uh…" Naruto stuttered nervously and twisted out of Sasuke's grasp, back into his kitchen, avoiding the other's eyes. He turned to see Sasuke looking startled with himself, but quickly regaining his composure.

"Naruto," Sasuke said quickly, and said blonde looked back at him. He'd started for the door, realizing how bad he'd screwed up this time, but stopped at the other man's voice. "Uh… Fine. You can stay… for a little while. Just… Let me go put a shirt on. You can hang up your coat on in the hallway." Sasuke disappeared into what Naruto had correctly assumed was his bedroom and Naruto stared after him, bewildered. Sasuke was letting him stay? **I think I like this one, Kit. Feisty. Unpredictable. He'll keep you in line.** Naruto was suddenly showed a gruesome image of Naruto being whipped by Sasuke as he cleaned the kitchen floor and a deep chuckle from the fox. Naruto rolled his eyes and unzipped his coat, revealing a tight, black, long-sleeved shirt that he pushed up slightly to his mid arm and a curious necklace with a long blue jewel on it that he'd received from Tsunade, who ran the hospital he was frequently being sent to.

Naruto followed Sasuke's direction and hung up his orange, patched coat and then unlaced his steel-toed boots, leaving those at the door. Naruto's orange socks slipped against Sasuke's tile floor and he sat down at one of the shiny bar stools lining the island counter. "You know, you could have knocked, Naruto," Sasuke said from behind him. He'd thrown on a dark blue turtle neck, and was fixing the collar as he walked over to a cabinet. "Coffee?"

"Sure," Naruto chirped, back to his sunny self. "But you would have shut the door on me as soon as you opened it," he protested, in response to Sasuke's first comment. Sasuke shrugged slightly, not exactly admitting that this was true, but not denying it either. "Why don't you have any Christmas decorations, Sasuke?" Naruto asked suddenly.

Sasuke didn't reply at first. Instead, he continued to attend to his coffee maker, ignoring Naruto. Finally, Sasuke turned to Naruto. "Because I hate Christmas," he said simply. Naruto furrowed his blonde brows. 'Hate Christmas'? Was that even possible? **Not everyone is so obsessed with holidays, Kit.** Naruto guessed this was true, but who didn't like Christmas, even just a tiny bit? **Sasuke, apparently. You know, I'm not too fond of it either-** Naruto shushed the fox and looked at Sasuke curiously. The man had a faraway look in his dark, brooding eyes.

"Why not?" Naruto asked. Sasuke shrugged. There was obviously a reason, but Sasuke was inclined to tell. "Fine, then. You don't have to tell me why you're such a scrooge. I already know," Naruto proclaimed slyly. Sasuke just grunted, and continued fussing over his coffee-maker. "It's because you're mom dropped you on your head. Right on Christmas day. That's why you're emotionally-retarded, see? And whenever it gets close to your anniversary of not having feelings, you get even _more-_" Naruto jabbered on, amusing himself with a whole scenario. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Wow. How did you guess," Sasuke said flatly, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "No, dumbass. I hate Christmas because my parents died on Christmas day, ok? Happy now?" Sasuke glared at Naruto, who grew very quiet. He felt a sharp pang in his heart for Sasuke, who was also an orphan, just like him.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke. I didn't realize. How long ago was it?" Naruto asked gently. Sasuke's straight, angry shoulders softened slightly. Naruto was reminded of his days in the orphanage, when the kids would ask any new-comers the same question. How long ago was it? It sounded harsh, but the kids had to be tough or suffer the consequences.

Sasuke looked at him bitterly. "I was six. My brother killed them. He's in jail now, so it doesn't matter. What about your parents?" Sasuke asked sharply. Naruto's eyes saddened and he shrugged gloomily. He told Sasuke about how he'd never known his parents, having been dumped at the orphanage by his dying father, the day he'd been born. Sasuke had the same eyes as his: lonely. They were kindred spirits, both orphans. Naruto felt like he'd known Sasuke all his life, instead of barely one day.

The two talked into the night, until they were both yawning too hard to stay awake. Naruto started to leave, but Sasuke ordered him to stay, claiming that Naruto wouldn't get home without falling asleep, and offering him a spot on the couch. Naruto took it, ignoring comments from the fox about preferring the bed. As the blonde boy drifted to sleep, he thought absently about how it might feel to run his fingers through Sasuke's spiky, dark hair.

**000**


End file.
